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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. hand — in cards
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. suit — clothes
  5. suit — to fit
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. wind — moving air
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. hand — help
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pit — in a race
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pit — a hole
  21. track — a song
  22. track — a path
  23. track — to keep track
  24. straw — a straw man

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com